Solid Investment
Solid Investment is the fifth episode of Outpost Zero. Plot After he repairs the Warthog as best as he can, Michael explains a tragedy in his past to Nick. They are cut short when a Falcon approaches Blue Base to deliver Austin's ATV, alarming both teams in the process. Characters Red Team *Sergeant Jones *Michael Smith *Nick Johnson Blue Team *Brian Richards *Jack Reynolds *Austin Wells *Unnamed Blue Soldiers (flashback) Other *Frank (flashback) *Rose (flashback) *Unnamed Racers (flashback) *Gray-Suited "Racer" (flashback) *Game Anouncer (voice only) *Delivery Pilot Transcript Fade into Michael crouched by the Warthog and Nick watching outside Red Base. Michael: "Well, that's as good as it gets." Nick: "Well, is it fixed?" Michael: "Sort of, it's drivable, but the one axle is slightly damaged, so the tire balance is all off." Nick: "...which isn't good..." Michael: "Yeah. I'm going to call in command for a replacement, but that might take a while." Nick: "So, you said you used to race... were you like a racecar driver or something?" Michael: "No, underground shit, street races, drag races, that sorta thing." Nick: "You get caught or something?" Michael: "Some cops saw us a couple times, but we always got away. No, I stopped after what went down with the Blues in my city." Nick: "Your hometown got attacked?" Michael: "No, not my hometown, but there was the city a few minutes away, Restov. That's where the racing was, and where all the shit went down." Nick: "What happened?" Michael: "Short story: Blues happened. Long story... Alright, well, there was my buddy Frank. We'd known each other for years, we were both into cars and shit and it was actually his idea to start the whole racing gig. He bought us our first car, of course we had no money, so it was a piece of shit that barely ran. We spent a month working on it before we could race the thing. Anyways, he knew some hotshots who would race, and next thing I know, we're winning races making several hundred bucks every night. So this one night, me and him are there getting ready for a race, and there's two other hotshots and this hot-ass chick me and Frank had been after. She called herself Rose, I never knew if it was her real name. She was a fucking beast at the races though. Guys would come up not expecting her to be able to actually race, and she'd beat them so bad every time. I'm getting off track though. So we're all standing there waiting around getting things ready..." Fade to a street at night and four Warthogs without turrets parked. A white-suited racer with maroon trim stands near a red-suited racer with orange trim by the Warthog on the far right. A pink-suited woman racer stands between them and two other racers. Red-Suited Racer: "Alright, got the tire pressure perfect. Just like last time. Michael (White-Suited Racer): "Good, Frank. Keep the tires warm, I think we're gonna start this soon." Frank (Red-Suited Racer): "Yup. Hey, you hear something?" Michael: "What? All the city noises?" Frank: "Sort of, they don't seem as loud tonight." Michael: "Yeah I noticed that, and it's a warm night too." The pink-suited racer (Rose) walks up to her Warthog and crouches down to check its engine. Frank (staring): "That ass..." Michael: "Yeah keep staring, buddy. That's as close as you're gonna get with her." Frank (laughing): "Oh and you're gonna get her?" Michael: "At least she talks to me." Frank: "Yeah, only because you stopped taking a cut from her." Michael: "That's not the only reason asshole." Frank: "Cockbite." Michael: "Turd burglar." Frank: "Tree raper." Michael: "Dog blower." Frank: "Really? We're bringing animals into this now?" Michael: "You brought a tree, so yeah." Frank: "Well maybe I'll bring a bush." Michael: "Your mom brought her bush." A nearby explosion is heard. Frank: "You hear that?" Michael: "Yeah. Someone's blowing shit up." Frank: "Great, the cops are gonna be all over tonight." A man in a gray racing suit walks up. Michael: "Head's up, we got some new guy coming up." The gray-suited man walks up to Michael and pulls out a pistol. Michael: "Oh shit!" Frank begins to run towards the Warthog and Michael. Gray-Suited Racer: "Take one more step, and your buddy here gets a bullet in his head." Frank stops. Gray-Suited Racer: "Okay now here's how this is gonna work. You're gonna give me the car and your money, then I'm going to leave. You aren't going to follow me, understand?" Michael: "...y-yeah." Gray-Suited Racer: "Now, when I tell you to, red guy, you're gonna go stand by that wall, then you with the white, you're gonna go over and stand next to him and you're both gonna face the wall and stay silent. Then I'm gonna get in the car-" A loud smacking noise is heard, and the man falls over, revealing Rose behind him. Michael: "I...uh...thanks?" Rose: "Yeah, yeah. Get your shit ready, we're about to start." Frank: "Wha-what about him?" Rose: "We'll be long gone before he wakes up." Michael walks over and grabs the pistol. Michael: "Yeah... I'm gonna feel a lot safer with the pistol not being near him." Frank: "Nice looking piece." Rose: "You boys could probably make some good money off that thing." Michael and Frank walk up towards the back of the Warthog. Michael: "Alright, everything's ready with the car. I'll go start her up and we'll-" Michael is interrupted by a larger and louder explosion. Frank: "Oh shit!" Rose: "What the-" Rose is shot down with gunfire mid-sentence as three Blue soldiers run up. Michael and Franks scramble behind the Warthog as bullets whiz past them. One of the other racers is hit and falls to the ground as the other ducks down behind another Warthog. Michael: "Holy shit! They're fucking Blues!" Frank: "They're getting fucking closer, we gotta make a run for that alley!" Michael: "Shit! They're gonna see us." Frank: "Start shooting that pistol at them and we'll make a run for it on three." Michael: "On three or go?" Frank: "Fucking three! Come on! One, two, THREE!" Michael and Frank get up behind the Warthog and begin running to the alley screaming. Two of the soldiers aim at them. Michael unloads the entire pistol clip at the Blues, hitting the one aiming at him in the arm, ruining his aim. The two soldiers open fire, miss Michael but hit Frank, sending him to the ground. Frank: "Motherfuuuuuugh" Michael makes it to the alley, covered by the wall. Michael: "Frank!?" Frank (panting between words): "Go! (coughs) Get... the... fuck... out of... here." Frank manages to climb up to a crouching position, but is immediately hit by another burst of gunfire. Michael (running down the alley): "Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit, oh shit..." A Blue soldier walks up to the alley and fires just as Michael makes it around the corner. Blue Soldier #1: "Damn! Fucker got away." Blue Soldier #2: "Forget him, I need to get this damn bullet out of my arm." Michael examines the pistol. Michael (panicking): '"No no no no no, out of bullets... Need bullets... need to get the fuck out of here." Michael walks up to an abandoned military Warthog and looks around. Michael: "Fucking blues left their Warthog... I can probably hotwire the thing." Michael jumps into the Warthog. Michael: "Yes, the retards left the key in! Time to get the fuck out of here!" Michael drives off. A few moments later, the three blue soldiers walk up. Blue Soldier #1: "Quit whining, the jeep's up ahead." Blue Soldier #2: "Why'd you take the fucking long way back?" Blue Soldier #1: "I retraced our steps from leaving the jeep." Blue Soldier #2: "Instead of just... Shit there goes our jeep!" Blue Soldier #1: "One of those fucking racers is driving it!" The Blues begin chasing the Warthog as it gets further away. Blue Soldier #2: "It's the fucker that shot my arm and got away from you! How'd he hotwire the thing so fast!" Blue Soldier #1: "I uh... kind of left the keys in..." Blue Soldier #2: "You what?!" Blue Soldier #3: "Good work, dumbass." Immediate cut back to Red Base as a Falcon approaches. Nick: "Are we expecting any planes?" Michael: "No, why the fuck is it coming closer?" The Falcon flies past Red Base and heads to Blue Base. Nick: "I wonder what the fucking Blues are up to." Michael: "Hang on, (activates radio) Sergeant? A Falcon just went to Blue Base." Sgt Jones (over radio): "Yeah, I saw it." Cut to Sgt Jones in the sniper nest looking through his sniper scope. Sgt Jones: "I can't get a visual. What's the status of the jeep?" Michael (over radio): "Still needs a new axle. I'd rather not drive the thing." Sgt Jones: "(sighs) Okay. Jones out." Cut back to Michael and Nick. Nick: "So what do you think that Falcon's there for?" Michael: "I don't know, but whatever reason it has is probably bad for us." Nick: "Maybe they got more reinforcements. 'Cause we have a one-man advantage." Michael: "Yeah but the Sarge doesn't do anything, and I wouldn't call that... thing... (looks towards the inside of the base where Joe can be heard humming) a man." Nick: "Either way, if they got more troops, we're fucked. Especially if they get a better driver than that fat guy." Michael: "All I know is that it didn't come from the normal direction that their resupply birds come from. Something's up, that's all I know." Cut to Blue Base. Brian and Jack are standing next to a crate on the roof. Austin is in the distance, using the computer. Jack: "So what's with all these crates everywhere?" Brian: "They're just extra supplies and materials and stuff. I never got around to taking care of them." Jack: "Oh, so do you even know what's in them?" Brian: "More or less, there's not really anything I've needed still in them." Jack: "Can I take a look at them?" Brian: "Yeah, sure, see if you find anything useful or whatever." Voice on Computer (distant): "Game over." Austin (distant and shouting): "Oh come on, stop your shit. I didn't die!" Brian (to Austin): "What are you screaming about now?" Austin: "This stupid game keeps cheating." Brian: "It's not cheating Wells, you just suck at it." Austin: "Oh whatever, I'm gonna go find some new sites." Brian: "Whatever, fatass." Austin: "I heard that." Brian: "That's 'cause I said it out loud." Jack (off-camera): "Whoa! This is nice!" Brian turns to see Jack wielding a rocket launcher. Brian: "Oh yeah... We have some heavy weaponry in those crates." Jack: "I got to use one of these in training, they're wicked." Brian turns to see an approaching Falcon. Brian: "Oh shit, there's no reason for a Falcon to be coming here now!" Jack: "Permission to use this thing sir?" Brian: "Yeah, that's no Blue pilot, doesn't even look like a Red, open fire at will." Jack raises the rocket launcher at the Falcon, but nothing happens. Jack: "Um, it's not working!" Brian: "Is it loaded?" Jack: "Oh... whoops, I forgot about that." Brian: "Shit! Wells!... PRIVATE WELLS!" Austin: "What?" Brian: "Get on the turret!" Austin: "Why?" Jack: "Look in the sky, fatty!" Austin look up, sees the Falcon and runs to the front of the base. Brian: "What the fuck? Don't run towards it!" Jack: "Yo, stay here." Brian: "Get back here! It's fucking landing!" Austin: "Dude! My ATV's here!" Brian: "What?" Austin: "Yeah, that ATV I ordered!" Brian (annoyed): "Oh my fucking god..." Brian walks up to Austin as a pilot emerges from the Falcon. Austin: "Um... what's a maiden name again?" Brian (frustrated): "What?" Delivery Pilot (to Austin): "Yeah I need to know your mother's maiden name to verify that you are Austin Wells." Brian: "Your mom's last name before she got married." Austin: "Oh, Caboose." Delivery Pilot: "Alright, everything checks out. Enjoy your new Mongoose ATV." The pilot walks back into his Falcon and takes off, leaving behind a red Mongoose. Brian: "So here's your stupid fucking ATV." Jack (walking up): "Dude, it's the wrong color. We're blue." Austin: "Yeah, well red's a better color. I'd rather be a Red anyways, blue isn't that awesome of a color." Brian (flustered): "What? No-the-red-color... This war isn't about fucking colors!" Austin: "What do you mean?" Brian: "Do you think that those Reds are fighting us because they like the color red over the color blue?" Austin: "Yeah, I'm not stupid." Brian: "Yeah you fucking are! You have no idea what this fucking war is about! It's not about favorite colors!" Austin (to Jack): "Isn't green your favorite color?" Jack: "Yeah, that's why I got standard green instead of blue." Austin: "See? He's wearing green, green's his favorite color." Brian: "Which happens to be a coincidence that green is one of our available colors to-" Austin: "And your favorite color is?" Brian: "...Aqua." Austin: "What's that?" Brian: "Cyan... Lightish teal..." Austin: "So like turquoise then?" Brian: "Close... I'm kind of surprised you know what turquoise is." Austin: "I have a turquoise crayon... Anyways, that's blue and green, right?" Brian: "I see where you're gonna go with this..." Austin: "So you are fighting for your favorite color!" Brian: "Oh my fucking... just go back and play your cheating computer games." Austin: "I'm downloading new maps. The stupid network connection here sucks." Brian: "Go complain about it to the Reds, I'm sure they'll boost the signal for you... Why don't you go color a picture with your crayons?" Austin: "Oh like I'm really gonna still color... (quietly) okay fine, I like to color still. Do you have any paper?" Gallery Michael racer.png|Michael in his racing suit. Frank racer.png|Frank in his racing suit. carjacker.png|The gray-suited "racer" Female racer.png|Rose Bg racer2.png|Unnamed Racer Bg racer.png|Unnamed Racer Trivia *Solid Investment was originally planned to be the fourth episode, but the inclusion of Brian's backstory among other things caused it to be pushed back an episode, and the creation of Recovery Plan to finish the small conflict. *It was under consideration to rename this episode "Investment Plan" to make Combat Plan, Recovery Plan, and Investment Plan a three episode mini-arc. Ultimately, it was decided to have Solid Investment be more independent and have a larger time period between the first conflict arc and the arrival of the ATV. This is also due to Michael's backstory and the ATV having little connection to the conflict. Category:Outpost Zero